Various forms of impregnated nonwoven fabrics are available for performing a wide variety of tasks such as cleaning hard surfaces, cleaning hands and other areas of the body and delivery active antibacterial agents to various surfaces both animate and inanimate. Such fabrics are marketed as wipes ready for use either in individual packet form or in bulk form in suitable dispensers from which individual wipes can be withdrawn as needed. Whatever the form of packaging, the wipes are stored for substantial period of time prior to use. Antibacterial nonwoven substrates are described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,786,615; 4,395,454 and 4,199,322.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,841 discloses a process for imparting antibacterial activity to cellulosic and polyester textiles. The textiles are treated with an aqueous solution which contains 1% to 30% by weight of zinc acetate and 1% to 30% of hydrogen peroxide. At zinc acetate concentrations of 5% or greater, the solution also contains 1% to 25% of acetic acid. The textiles are subsequently heated to drive off water and acetic acid, thereby converting the water-soluble reagents to insoluble peroxide complexes of zinc acetate deposited on the textile.
The treatment is applicable to unfinished textiles and also to cellulosic textiles having a durable press finish. The treatment inhibits the growth and spreading of odor- and infection-producing bacteria on the textile. The antibacterial activity imparted is durable to repeated laundering.
While the antibacterial nonwoven material provided by the latter patent is 100% effective against gram-negative organisms such as salmonella choleraesuis (s. choleraesuis), it is less effective against gram-positive organisms such as staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).